Internal-combustion engine



Aug. 24 1926. 1,597,248 E. RATHBUN INTERNAL C OMHUST I ON ENGI NE Filed May 7. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR. MWMRal/zbult H16 A TTb Aug. 24 1926.

1,597,248 E. RATHBUN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May '7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheat 2 Z KV/ H/S ATTO EY Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:anwmn rumors, OI TOLEDO, OHIO, LBSIGIIOE '10 monsoon-mu comm, OI I'm! urn, new man, A OOH-PORTION OI MW mm.

man-censure: ENGINE ramification fled lay I, 1925. lerial Io. 8,567.

This invention relates to internal corabustion and more particularly to that type in which liquid fuel, such as oil, is injected into a combustion chamber in l the cylinder head in which air has been or is compressed.

"l ii i is type of engine, combustion takes place in a com ression space or combustion chamber and t e motive force tending to 10 actuate the piston'is produced by the atly increased preaure resulting from t e rise in temperature caused by the heat nerated in the combustion of the fuel. t is, therefore, desirable that a maximum amount 15 of air be drawn into the linder and combustion chamber and that e air drawn into the cylinder be as cool as pomble. If air is drawn into an excessively hot chamber, it immediately expands to a greater volume and thus a relatively small uantity will be drawn into the c lrnder. 'Fhe coolest part of the interior 0 an engine of this type is the side wall of the cylinder and the hottest parts are the piston head and the combustion chamber. It is therefore, found most desirable to draw the fresh arr into the cylinder remote from the combustion chamber and thereafter to compress the air into the combastion chamber.

80 The principal object of this invention is therefore, to draw the air into the cylinder on the suction stroke of the iston in such a manner as to avoid excessive heating of the air. This is accomplished by positioning the inlet valve remote from the combustion chamber and in such a manner that there is substantially no compression s are except in the combustion chamber. T is eliminates pockets containing dead air which is not utilized in combustion.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out herel h (1 mg i i th nt e rs ormin arto is speci- 45 fication, and in which s imilar reference characters refer to similar parts,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cylinder and a. cylinder head constructed in accordance with the practice of the W invention,

2 is a cross section taken along the hne 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 3 is a modification in longitudinal section of a cylinder and a c linder head on which the combustion chem r is o! the type having a neck at its juncture with the cy lnder proper.

Referring to the drawings, and more pertrcularly to Figures 1 and 2, the upper portron of a c linder A is shown in which a p 1ston B, w ch may be water cooled if desired, rs adapted to reciprocate in the piston space. The cylinder A is provided with a head C having an inlet valve D and an exhaust valve E arranged to control communication from the interior of the c linder A with inlet and exhaust passages and G. respectlvely. The valves D and E may be olperated gal any suitable mechanism (not crown). e exhaust valve E is a to open into a com ression space H which may be of any suite 1e form, such as cylindrical, as shown in Figure 1 or provided with a neck at its juncture with the interior of the cylinder, as at J (Figure 3). This neck is of less diameter than the smallest diameter of the compression space and the preferable form of the cogression space 18 that indicated constitut of a central region and two opposed lateral extension cavities.

Means are provided for injectin fuel into the compression space an to this end a pair of s ray nozzles K disposed on opposite sides 0 the combustion chamber ll preferably in the extension cavities are arranged to inject fuel simultaneously into spray cones meeting approximately at the central he on of the compression space H as shown in igure 2, and illustrated more fully in U. 8. Patent No. 1,517,015 ted November 25, 1924, to W. T. Price, it being understood that the invention is not confined to such nozzles.

The exhaust passage G is preferably located in a water cooled block L suitably mounted over the com ression space H and forming an air t ht c osure therefor. The compression space may also be water jackliquid eted and supplied with water from the same source as the water chamber P surrounding the walls of the cylinder A.

The longitudinal axis at the compression space H as shown, lies within the ripheral conlines of the cylinder here an at one side of the longitudinal axis of said bore, so that euflicient area remains for sea the air inlet valve D in the inner surface 0 the cylinder head.

In accordance with the practice of. this invention, the inlet valve D is thus located remote from the compression s H at the up to side of the longitudinal axis of the cy inder adjacent the cylinder wall and opening directly into the piston a wholly within the periphe of t e cylin or here, so that as the piston moves away from the compression space on its suction stroke, the air entering past the valve D into the cylinder encounters the walls of the cylinder A rather than the walls of the compression space H. The hottest parts of the engine are the compression space H and the head of the piston B. The air in entering the cylinder from the inlet does not come in contact with the walls of the compression space H since there is no vacuum in that s cc and as the piston B is moving rapidly ownward and not much of the air entering the cylinder contacts with the piston head to reduce a marked effect, a full charge 0 fresh air is therefore drawn into the cylinder on the suction stroke of the piston B. On the compression stroke of the iston B, the air drawn into the cylinder is orced into the compression space H and just prior to the completion of the piston comprcmion stroke the fuel is in'ected into the compression space H throng the nozzles K substantially as disclosed in U. S. f

PatentNo. 1,617,015 referred to. Automatic ignition of the obs in the compression ace H takes place no to the atomization o the fuel by the spray nozzles K and the ressure of air in the compression ace H. gubstantially no clearance exists tween the head of the piston B and the lower face of the cylinder head C. Upon ignition of the fuel in the compression space the piston moves downwardly on the expansion stroke to deliver power to the crank shaft (not shown). Toward the end of the expansion stroke the exhaust valve E opens and the exhaust gases pass out through the exhaust passage G to atmosphere.

As has been said above, a great advantage of this construction is that the in-coming air is not heated and expanded by contact with the compresion space walls so as to reduce the amount of air which can be taken into the cylinder on the suction stroke of the piston. The compression space H is therefore water jacketed in order to prevent too high a temperature in its walls.

Figure 3 shows a modification in the form of compression space in which is a constriction at the neck J at the juncture of the combustion chamber H with the cylinder A. Such a neck-may be used to produce greater turbulence in the combustion chamber H in some cases.

I claim:

L An internal combustion engine coma piston prlslng' a cylinder he ace a piston in said space, a 'nder head havih ormed therein and a compression space communicating with the piston space, the longitudinal axis of the com reesion space ligig within the periph confines of t cylinder bore and at one side of the longitudinal axis of said here, an exhaust valve in and compression an air inlet valve seated in the cylinder and located remote from the compression opposite side of the longitudinal axis of the cylinder ad acent the cylinder wall and open ng directly into thzgnston ly within the periph the cylinder bore, whereby air in the cy der is cooled by the cylinder walls and is prevented from entermg the compression space on the suction stroke of the piston.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a piston s ace, a piston in said space, a cylinder head having a compression s ace formed therein and communicating wi the piston space, the ion 'tudinal axis of the compression space lying within the peripheral confines of the sylinder bore and at one side of the longitu mal axis of said bone, an exhaust valve in said com ression space, means for injecting fuel 0' into and com ression space, an air inlet valve seated in e inner ace of the cylinder head and located remote from the compression space at the o posits side of the longitudinal axis of e cylinder adjacent ,the cylinder wall sud opening directly into the iston space whol- 1y within the peripho of the cylinder bore, whereby air in the cy der is cooled by the cylinder walls and is prevented from outering the compression space on the suction stroke of the piston,

3. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a iston see, a piston in said space, a cylin or head aving a compression space formed therein and communicating with the piston space b an o ning of less diameter than the am lest diameter of the said compression space, said latter space being constituted of a central region and two opposed lateral extension cavities containing; solid injection nozzles simultaneously de ivering their fuel sprays into mutual impingement in said central region, the lon itudmal axis of the compression space lying within the ripheral confines of the cylinder bore an at one side of spaceatthe space wholthe lonitudinal axis of said bore, an air bore, whereby air in the cylinder is cooled inlet va ve seated in the cylinder head and by the cylinder walls and is prevented from located remote from the compression space entering the oompression space on the sucat the opposite side of the longitudinal axis tion stroke of the piston.

l of the cylinder adjacenl; the cylinder wall In testimony whereof I have signed this and opening directly into the piston space specification; wholly within the periphery of the cylinder EDWARD RATHBUN.

the lon 'tudinal axis of said bore, an air bore, whereby air in the cylinder is cooled inlet vs vs seated in the cylinder head and by the cylinder walls and is prevented from located remote from the compression space entering the compression space on the sucat the opposite side of the longitudinal axis tion stroke of the piston.

of the cylinder adjacent the cylinder wall In testimony whereof I have signed this and opening directly into the piston space specification,

wholly within the periphery of the cylinder EDWARD RATHBUN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,597, 248, granted August 24, 1926.

to EDWARD RATHBUN.

It is hereby certified that the above mentioned patent was erroneously issued to lnger'soll-Rand Company. of Jersey City, New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey, as assignee of the entire interest in said invention, whereas said Patent should have been issued to said Ingersoll-Rand Company and The Rathbun-Jones Engineering Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio, as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of February, A. D. 1927.

M. J. Moore, Seal. Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,597,248, granted August 24, 1926.

to EDWARD RATHBUN.

It is herebycertified that the above mentioned patent was erroneously issued to lnger'soll-Rand Company, of Jersey City, New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey, as assignee of the entire interest in said invention, whereas said Patent should have been issued to said Ingersoll-Rand Company and The Rathbun-Jones Engineering Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio, as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of February, A. D. 1927.

M. J. Moore, Seal. Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

